1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a surgical drape. More particularly, the invention relates to a surgical drape for percutaneous procedures in the neck and upper chest.
2. Description of the Related Art
Maintenance of a sterile environment is critical to the safety of patients undergoing percutaneous procedures. This is accomplished by preparing the skin with appropriate bacteriocidal preparations (chlorohexidine gluconate or betadine) and then applying sterile drapes around the remaining unprepared areas. Many procedures performed by interventionalists require access to the veins of the neck and chest. The most common procedure is placement of a central venous catheter, where there is a special emphasis on maintaining absolute aseptic conditions to prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections. Unfortunately, this area is difficult to prepare and drape, due to the angle of the neck and upper chest, and close proximity to the face. There is not currently available a special sterile barrier designed for this area. Current practice is to arrange towels around the area to create a sterile barrier in this area and can require up to 10 sterile towels arranged around the area. However, maintaining the arrangement of the towels can be tenuous with a combative patient. As many procedures are done with local anesthesia or mild sedation, fully covering the face can lead to patient anxiety affecting the surgical procedure.